Countdown to a New Year

It is now 60 hours until we begin a brand new year and new decade.

I absolutely love this time of year.  The chaos of Christmas has started to die down and my excitement for what's next is building.

This year feels even more significant than usual.  I am more keenly aware of the passage of time and feel a lovely sense of serenity.

Today my focus is fixed on the future.  I know that something wonderful is coming and I really can't wait to see what it is.  What I need to do now is get ready for it.

My grandmother was very superstitious and taught me how to bring good luck and prosperity for the new year.  I love this annual ritual and it always keeps me looking forward to what is coming.

New Years Eve - I clean house and do the washing, make sure the cupboards are full and discard anything I don't want for the coming year.  The evening is a peaceful reflection of the year passing.

 New Years Day - I prepare a meal of pork and greens for good luck and usually do something fun and joyful to celebrate the new beginning.

Wishing you all a wonderful and very Happy New Year!

30 Days to More Joy and Satisfaction

I love new beginnings and significant dates.  Today marks the 1st day of the last month of the last year of this decade.  That feels like a great time to reflect on my life and what is next for me.  

  

·      This month I will practice more deliberate intention in all that I do

·      I will get ready to be ready for the wonderful future I know is coming

·      I will focus more on my heart’s desire and less on outside events

·      When I feel a negative emotion, I will remind myself that it is important to acknowledge and then shift my focus to a better feeling thought

·      I will appreciate the contrast that helps me to know what I do want and be grateful for the evidence of my dreams manifesting

·      I will focus my thoughts and attention on all that is in harmony with me

·      I will feel more joy and appreciation for all of the goodness that is in my life right now 

Living Now

It is very easy to always be getting ready for the next great thing that is happening in my life.  I love that forward motion of preparing for what is next.  What I didn't realize is that I might have been missing some of the enjoyment of what is happening today.

I have learned not to live in the past and that letting go was the only way I could truly move on with my life.  But, in all of my excitement, I may have skipped a few essential steps.  Just recently I realized that I was missing the joy of my life while I was so focused on creating my future.

The true lesson for me is that you can't live your life in the past or the future.  It is happening right here, right now and that is where all the love and joy is.

Awareness

Today I woke with a keen sense of awareness.  An understanding that I am creating my life and watching it unfold, moment by moment, day by day.  It feels very exciting and part of me wants to jump to the end to see how it all turns out, but the reality is there is no end, just continued growth and desire.

I have always believed that the joy is in the journey but I'm not sure I fully comprehended the meaning.  Now, I am beginning to see, it's not about the outcome but being aware and appreciating all that is in the process of becoming.

Embrace the Challenge

I have learned so much about myself in the past decade, that I barely remember who I used to be.  The years of struggle and hardship now have faded into a distant memory of what seems to be someone else's life.

Now I understand that every challenge has been an opportunity for me to grow beyond anything I could have done otherwise.  My greatest achievement has been to see and appreciate every lesson.

You Can Get There From Here (Or Wherever You Are)

It's the most incredible experience to begin with so little and end up with so much.  I want to say never, in my wildest dreams - but the truth is I did dream it.  Every story I read or heard about beautiful places and incredible lives sent me off into a fantastic daydream of being there and living that life.  

Now I'm here, sitting at a rooftop bar, at a gorgeous hotel overlooking the beach and wondering how a simple girl from Iowa ended up here.  It wasn't the life that I ever expected but somehow it all happened.  

What Message Are You Sending?

Every thought and emotion we have broadcasts a message into the universe.  The message we are sending is what will ultimately come back to us, no exceptions.  If you aren’t sure what that message is, just look at what is showing up in your life.  If it is fear and pain, you will know it because that is what your day to day experience is.  If it is love and joy, you will know by the fullness of what you feel in your heart.

Our vibration is a powerful force in our lives.  Once we begin to understand that it reverberates into the universe, amplifying whatever we primarily think and feel, we can harness that power to improve our experience.

Every day I try to remind myself that it is worth the effort to release whatever bad or uncomfortable situation I may be dealing with, even though some days that is very difficult.  But if I can make even the smallest improvement in how I am feeling, I can see the shift that occurs almost immediately. 

Once I have a little perspective on whatever is bothering me, I can move a little further toward the relief that I seek.  Before I know it, something interesting or ironic occurs that reminds me that this is all a huge cosmic game and the better I feel, the more fun I have and the more fun I have, the better I feel.  It all works together in a way that I can’t even explain.

Today is the only day we have to make anything happen.  Thoughts really do become things and if I want to have a better tomorrow then it is critical that I make the most of today.

The Beauty of Aging

Aging is such an interesting journey.  At 50, I was in love and living in Ireland.  My life was so full of joy that I was convinced life couldn't get any better.

Back at home, after turning 60, a shift occurred that I never expected.  In an instant, my life became very clear.  I no longer believed that I had forever but at the same time was sure that life was just beginning. 

It was a moment that carried me far beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  No more longing for the past or wishing for what could have been.  My vision was fixed clearly on my future, no matter how long or short that might be. 

The gratitude and appreciation I have for making to it to this point is immeasurable.  So much has happened, that in no small way, I'm amazed to have made it this far.

I'm no longer living for someone else,  but finally,  maybe for the first time ever, for myself. 

There is something so beautiful and pure about this process.  We never know where we are going until after we have arrived. It's only then that we truly discover where the path was leading. 

Always Be Grateful

I was having dinner in Dublin, feeling very happy and spoiled when I received a powerful reminder to always be grateful. All through my meal I noticed my server working very hard and seemed much busier or at least more attentive than anyone else.

As I was getting ready to leave she asked where I was from in the US and then told me she was moving to New York.  She had been selected from an event in Ireland to work in the US.  She was so excited and very nervous.

What a fantastic opportunity for a young woman from eastern Europe who I'm certain has had challenges that I can't even imagine.  Suddenly I felt a strong sense of the immense privilege that I've been blessed with.  Thinking that even the most meager upbringing in America is beyond what many people have in other parts of the world.

She was very surprised when I gave her my number and asked her to let me know how she is doing or if she needed anything.  I felt humbled and immediately grateful for such a wonderful life.